When it comes to securing and protecting your school, access control and door entry systems are key to managing a range of objectives. There are many benefits and advantages of access control and door entry stems for schools. These include managing attendance data, visitor access, as well as protecting your site against unwanted ‘guests’.
In this article, we focus on eight clear advantages to installing an access control system to meet and manage a range of security threats and objectives.
Table of contents
- 1. Controlling, granting, and restricting access
- 2. Managing the flow of pupils, staff, and visitors
- 3. Securing the site against unauthorised access
- 4. Preventing drug dealers and sex offenders from accessing the grounds
- 5. Protecting IT equipment and cash
- 6. Improving health and safety
- 7. Using technology to make attendance-related data more efficient and accurate
- 8. Peace of mind for parents
Firstly, let’s start our guide to the benefits & advantages of access control & door entry systems for schools.
1. Controlling, granting, and restricting access
Knowing where people are in the building is crucial to maintaining site security. This is because systems enable you to grant access to certain areas of the site, whilst restricting entry to certain areas.
To summarise, school access control systems allow you to:
- Manage site access
- Grant access to authorised individuals
- Restrict access to areas of the site that require protection
In the next section of this guide to the benefits of access control systems for schools, we focus on managing the flow of pupils, staff, and visitors.
2. Managing the flow of pupils, staff, and visitors
Managing visitor access for those attending site for meetings or for other purposes is a critical security concern. A video intercom, or ANPR camera system at site access points can help deliver on this objective.
Furthermore, the school can assign key fobs to pupils. When pupils present these fobs to a reader, they gain access to that area if there is authority to do so.
Furthermore, these types of access control systems should provide location and timestamp data. This helps to maintain visibility of pupils’ whereabouts and can help when dealing with security incidents.
Schools can give staff key fobs granting universal site access, alongside authorised entry to staff rooms, IT cupboards and offices containing cash and sensitive information.
To summarise, door entry and access control systems for schools can:
- Help manage visitor access
- Maintain visibility on the flow of pupils around the site
- Maintain the highest levels of health and safety
- Adhere to safeguarding objectives – external visitors are verified on arrival
3. Securing the site against unauthorised access
In this part of the guide to the advantages of school door security and access systems, we provide insight into a key security objective.
Unauthorised access is a key concern for schools. Here is some valuable insight into how to manage this threat.
Cash, IT equipment and lab equipment are expensive items that require protection.
Securing key areas can help minimise external threats – it’s the second line of defence after a school’s CCTV camera or perimeter security system.
Furthermore, you can protect certain areas from pupils trying to access them to prevent theft and accidents.
To summarise, you can prevent unauthorised access by:
- Implementing a trackable key fob door entry system
- Restricting access to certain areas for certain user groups
- Implementing an intercom system to verify and grant access
Concerned about unauthorised access in your school?
If you are worried about dealing with unauthorised individuals gaining access to your school during the day, it would be wise to consider an access control system.
Read the following article that covers a situation where a school was sent into lockdown after teenage intruders got inside.
The following section of this guide offers expert advice on how to deal with some of the more alarming security threats schools face; sex offences and drug-related activity.
4. Preventing drug dealers and sex offenders from accessing the grounds
Unfortunately, this needs mentioning as it is a reality for schools. To protect staff and pupils from the most extreme threats, they must deploy appropraite scurity measures
To summarise:
- An ANPR CCTV system can detect pre-stored number plates of sex offenders and drug dealers trying to access the school’s grounds
- Keypad entry systems can be used as part of a gate automation system to restrict access to those who are given the code
- Facial recognition software can be deployed to meet this objective too. However, we understand these systems can push ethical boundaries, despite the effectiveness of these advanced AI-driven solutions
Drugs in schools: Advice from the Government
Looking to tackle the issue of drugs in your school? Follow the below link for helpful information from the Government:
In section five of this article covering the benefits of school access control systems, we now highlight how these security solutions can deter theft of cash and IT equipment.
Firstly, here are a couple of school security case studies for you to review.
School security case studies
5. Protecting IT equipment and cash
As mentioned above, offices containing cash need protection. IT and lab equipment do too.
In order to maintain security and protect pupils, you can set up an effective door entry system to control and restrict access to these areas of your site.
In short:
- Key fob entry systems can be programmed to restrict entry via certain doors
- Science and lab stores can be protected with a passcode or keypad entry system
- Intercom systems can be deployed to verify and grant access
6. Improving health and safety
Knowing who is in and out of the building at a glance is the perfect addition to any school’s health and safety policy.
A quality school access control system will provide location data for each individual logged into the system.
To summarise:
- Safeguarding is improved as you have live data on each pupil’s location (within the building)
- Health and safety policies are sharpened and modernised
- Pupils are protected against wandering into potentially hazardous areas containing science class related chemicals and more
7. Using technology to make attendance-related data more efficient and accurate
Technology plays a key role in day-to-day school life. Many classrooms use iPads and interactive whiteboards for learning activities
A time and attendance system can help:
- Negate the need for an old-fashioned register
- Provide accurate data in the event of a fire or critical security event
- Spot absence
A register is a legal requirement for schools, which they must take twice a day.
Modernising your register by using a key fob presented to a reader is a secure, health and safety-conscious security measure.
Additionally, if a critical security event unfolds at your school, having access to real-time location data could be paramount to managing the threats and protecting people.
Read the following article covering an incident where parents tackled a knifeman to the floor after spotting him ‘waving meat cleaver’ at primary school.
On this occasion, fortunately, no harm came to anyone. If this happened at your school, you could retrieve location data, and lockdown the school knowing where pupils and staff are.
8. Peace of mind for parents
In the final part of this article covering the benefits of door access control & entry systems in schools, we look at one of the key external stakeholders; parents.
It’s no surprise that parents worry about their kids. If the school their children attend uses an access control system to manage internal security, it can create peace of mind.
To summarise:
- If they know their children are protected against all of the above threats, you’ll have very happy parents
- If they know site attendance is tracked, they know their child is as safe as possible and truancy can be detected
School door access system gallery
Thinking about access control systems for your school?
Have a look at a few pictures from a recent project.
Related services
If you are in charge of security and currently looking at your options, head over to our dedicated school security service pages:
The benefits & advantages of access control & door entry systems – article summary
For security-conscious schools, they cannot ignore the benefits and advantages of security systems for schools.
Finally, to recap the eight core benefits and advantages are:
- Controlling, granting, and restricting access
- Managing the flow of pupils and visitors
- Securing the site against unauthorised access
- Preventing drug dealers and sex offenders from accessing the grounds
- Protecting equipment and cash
- Improving health and safety
- Using technology to make attendance-related data more efficient and accurate
- Peace of mind for parents
If you are looking to protect pupils, and staff and manage visitor access efficiently, talk to us today about an access control system for your school.
If you are focused on protecting your site from external threats and modernise security, call us today on 0800 689 1835.
